Brake-shoe tool for use with brake-shoe lining

Abstract

A brake-shoe tool is for use with a brake-shoe lining. The brake-shoe tool includes an elongated rigid linear shaft assembly and a plurality of rigid flat plate members each rotatably mounted to the elongated rigid linear shaft assembly. Each of the rigid flat plate members includes a flat planar surface in rotating contact arrangement with a neighboring instance of the flat planar surface. A free end extends from the flat planar surface. The free end presents an elongated edge having a unique length. The elongated edge is configured to be positioned adjacent to a thickness of the brake-shoe lining in such a way that each instance of the elongated edge is positionable to and visually comparable against the thickness of the brake-shoe lining.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A brake-shoe tool for use with a brake-shoe lining being configured to interact with a brake drum, the brake-shoe lining also being configured to be fixedly attachable to a brake shoe, the brake drum and the brake shoe being configured to be covered by a backing plate defining a backing plate inspection hole, the backing plate inspection hole being configured to expose, at least in part, a portion of the brake drum and the brake shoe, and the backing plate being included in a vehicle wheel having a vehicle tire being attached to a vehicle wheel rim of a movable vehicle, the brake-shoe tool comprising:
 an elongated rigid linear shaft assembly; and 
 a plurality of rigid flat plate members each including:
 a bound end defining a shaft-receiving hole being configured to extend through the bound end, and the shaft-receiving hole of each instance of the bound end of the plurality of rigid flat plate members being configured to be aligned with each other in such a way that: (A) the elongated rigid linear shaft assembly is extendable through each instance of the shaft-receiving hole of each instance of the bound end once the shaft-receiving hole of said each instance of the bound end is aligned with each other; and (B) the plurality of rigid flat plate members is held in rotatable arrangement with the elongated rigid linear shaft assembly; 
 a flat planar surface extending from the bound end, and the flat planar surface of each rigid flat plate member being in rotating contact arrangement with a neighboring instance of the flat planar surface once the instances of the bound end are rotatably mounted to the elongated rigid linear shaft assembly; and 
 a free end extending from the flat planar surface, and the free end being spaced apart from the bound end, and each instance of the free end presenting an elongated edge having a unique predetermined length being different from unique predetermined lengths of remaining instances of the elongated edge, and each instance of the elongated edge being configured to be positioned adjacent to a thickness of the brake-shoe lining that is exposed by the backing plate inspection hole in such a way that each instance of the elongated edge is positionable to and visually comparable against the thickness of the brake-shoe lining while the vehicle wheel remains operatively attached to the vehicle wheel rim. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The brake-shoe tool of  claim 1 , wherein:
 each member of the plurality of rigid flat plate members defines an L-shaped configuration. 
 
     
     
       3. The brake-shoe tool of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the free end is configured to form a right-angled portion. 
 
     
     
       4. The brake-shoe tool of  claim 3 , wherein:
 each instance of the flat planar surface includes:
 a unique indicia configured to indicate a unique length of the elongated edge of the free end. 
 
 
     
     
       5. The brake-shoe tool of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the elongated rigid linear shaft assembly includes:
 a linear shaft portion with end caps being positioned on opposite sides of the linear shaft portion; and 
 the end caps being configured to be threadably mounted to the opposite sides of the linear shaft portion. 
 
 
     
     
       6. The brake-shoe tool of  claim 5 , wherein:
 the end caps are configured to restrict axial movement of the plurality of rigid flat plate members along an axis of the linear shaft portion in such a way that the flat planar surface is rotatable relative to the linear shaft portion along a rotation plane. 
 
     
     
       7. The brake-shoe tool of  claim 6 , wherein:
 the instances of the flat planar surface remain substantially in sliding contact arrangement with neighboring instances of the flat planar surface. 
 
     
     
       8. The brake-shoe tool of  claim 7 , wherein:
 the instances of the flat planar surface remain in a stacked arrangement one over the other, in contact arrangement relative to each other.